1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing device having so-called finishing functions including edit functions such as a digital copier and an image processing system connected to a digital copier and a method of controlling the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, a copier is becoming widespread which includes finishing functions provided by a unit mainly called finisher, such as a sorter function for sorting multiple copies of output into a given number of units, a staple function for stapling each of sorted units, and an N in 1 function for gathering multiple pages into one piece of paper (where N is a number of pages gathered into one piece of paper). When such a digital copier is used as a single unit, the finishing function can be specified by an operation by, for example, an operator from an operation panel of the digital copier.
The digital copier is not only used as a single unit but also is connected to a host computer via a kind of interface device. Thus, a system has been developed which can output image data input by the host computer through the digital copier. When a driver program for controlling the digital copier is provided in the host computer connected to the digital copier, a finishing function to be performed in response to a print request can be specified for the system via a user interface provided by the driver program. In this case, the host computer writes the specification of the finishing function in, for example, the print job header in accordance with a data format determined between the host computer and the digital copier and sends print data as a print job body to the digital copier. The digital copier receives the job and analyzes the finishing specification written in the header. Then, the digital copier implements the printing as well as the specified function.
In the system connecting the digital copier and the host computer, when the driver program for the digital copier is provided to the host computer as described above, the finishing function can be used from the host computer. However, when the driver program is not compliant with functions of the used digital copier, that is, in the driver-less environment, the finishing function cannot be specified from the host computer.
In order to cause the digital copier to perform printing in the diver-less environment, it is necessary that the print data is edited in a form specified with respect to the digital copier and the print job is created and input to the digital copier. In general, a driver program for widely available peripherals is provided in the operating system. Therefore, by using a driver program compliant with the data format determined for the digital copier, simple printing functions can be used in the driver-less environment.
On the other hand, the driver is required for performing finishing processing specific to the digital copier for an input print job. Driver may not be necessary if the print data is processed in a desired format in the host computer for a part of finishing processing such as document layout. However, it can only implement a part of functions provided by the digital copier. For example, duplexing printing, booklet printing and the staple function can be performed only when the digital copier performs the functions it provides. In order to implement those functions without the driver compliant with the digital copier, the digital copier must realize the input print job and the finishing processing corresponding to the job. Therefore, an operator attempting printing must operate a panel of the digital copier to specify a finishing function or must specify the function from the other host computer having the driver.
As seen from the above, even if the digital copier has high level finishing functions, it is difficult for a device, which cannot specify a function compliant with the digital copier in the setting within the print job, such as a driver-less host computer, to use the finishing functions.